Why Brian Cashman was right about Johnny Damon

“Here we have the Yankees, the team that throws money around like A-Rod at a strip club, suddenly pretending to be fiscally austere and responsible.

And here we have Damon, an aging ballplayer who throws like a grandmother, pretending there are other teams salivating to sign him.”

A couple of thoughts on why Brian Cashman and the Yankees were right:

Don't be sad, Cash. You were right.

1) I liked Johnny Damon, thought he was a great presence in the clubhouse and wouldn’t have minded a lick if he were back in pinstripes next year. No question, the Yankees are weaker offensively without Damon hitting in the two-hole. Cutting him a huge check would, at face value, have been the safe, Yankee-like thing to do.

But while Randy Winn’s OBP was a miserable .318 in 2009, Nick Johnson’s career OBP is a meaty .402 . Even if Johnson’s injuries have sapped his power to drive Jeter/Granderson in on his own, you’re looking at significant RBI opportunities for Teixeira, A-Rod and Posada.

Now, combine that with Winn’s defensive leg-up over Damon, which is substantial, and Granderson’s pop to right field — you could argue that the team is not only better defensively but hasn’t lost much, if anything, in terms of power.

Add again to that the speed of Gardner, which makes him a destabilizing presence on the base paths and outfielder who can cover acres of ground. On the whole, you have a more dynamic mix of players who are all younger, better defensively and more versatile than a 36-year-old Damon, who may never have another year as productive as ’09.

2) If the Yankees are going to make a serious play for All-Star centerfielder Carl Crawford next year when he’s a free agent, it doesn’t make sense to have Damon locked into a two-year deal. If Gardner’s offense develops this year with regular playing time, then Damon would have been — depending on which offer was made — a $7MM-$13MM-a-year fourth outfielder/DH with bum legs.

3) You can’t have it both ways. You cannot on one hand knock the Yankees for overspending and then criticize them for drawing a line in the sand — as big a line as it might be.

By saying the Yankees should suck it up and pay Damon, you’re saying they should continue to do exactly what they’re so often roundly criticized for — overpaying for players who are in significant decline.

I’m not saying Cashman has guaranteed a repeat, but as much as I’ll miss the Idiot, Cashman made the smarter move.